"We are proud to work alongside At 'Ricky' Chandee. I don't understand why he would be a target for removal now, why he was brutally detained and swiftly flown to Texas, or how his removal benefits our city or country."
"Except that the photo the White House posted was of a different person. The post also incorrectly claimed Chandee had multiple felony convictions he has one, for second-degree assault in 1993 when he was 18 years old. He shot two people in the legs and served three years in prison."
"Laos had not been accepting all of the people the U.S. wanted it to, so the federal government determined that it was likely infeasible to deport him, his lawyer Linus Chan told NPR. Chandee therefore was granted permission to stay in the U.S. and work so long as he checked in with immigration authorities periodically. He has not missed a check-in in over 30 years."
At Chandee, a 52-year-old who arrived as a child refugee from Laos, was arrested by ICE two days after the White House posted about him on X, using an incorrect photo and falsely claiming multiple felony convictions. Chandee actually has one felony conviction from 1993 for second-degree assault when he was 18, for which he served three years. Though ordered deported, Laos refused to accept him, so he was granted permission to remain and work with periodic immigration check-ins. Over 30 years, he maintained perfect compliance, completed his education, worked as an engineering technician for Minneapolis for 26 years, raised a son who joined the military, and engaged in hiking and foraging. City officials expressed confusion about his removal.
Read at www.npr.org
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